Quaking Hearts
by bxblover
Summary: A mugging leaves Riku shot in the chest and Sora waiting by his side at a hospital. Their friends and family gather for support, and they see how much they're cared for. YAOI. Not AU. Sexual references, but, shockingly from me, nothing overly explicit.


Quaking Hearts

Started: 6/28/09. Finished: 12/31/09 (3:14 a.m.) (Found title at 3:26)

Bxblover/MagzWLBR – Magz

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, its respective characters, or the characters from other mediums involved in the game.

Sora wrung his hands, his breath coming in hot, confused pants. What the hell was taking so long? He arrived at the hospital twenty minutes ago and the pressure of waiting was making him twitch in his seat.

It all happened so fast; it was like reality was spinning out of control and he couldn't stop the wheel. He was taking a walk with Riku when someone in black ran out of the alleyway holding a gun.

"Give me your money faggots!"

Riku and Sora weren't strangers to hand-to-hand combat. But they were both unarmed, and the angry, wild-eyed stare of the man in front of them couldn't be tested with the gun in his hand. They both gave him what little cash they were carrying. They had spent the day at the islands and the evening in the park, and only brought enough for hot dogs at a vendor; neither of them had their credit cards.

Further enraged the man said with a growl, "cheap ass fags. Go to hell!" He made a move to shoot Sora, but Riku shoved him away. The shot echoed into the alley and as the mugger ran off the front of Riku's pale blue shirt started to stain red.

From there everything was a blur. The frantic, panicked call for an ambulance, the hot tears that ran down his cheeks, the frustration when Riku wouldn't open his eyes, the helplessness as he held an immobile hand in the ambulance.

The tears resurfaced and he hastened to wipe them away. He wasn't going to lose Riku because of some psycho. He wasn't going to die. He wasn't!

"Sora!"

He looked up and started blinking away his tears. Riku's mother and father were running towards him from down the hall. Shima was a tall, muscled man, his black hair becoming salt-and-pepper with age, but his aquamarine eyes hadn't lost any of the humorous sparkle that was present in his youth. His wife Kameko was his opposite in physical appearance: she was very short, her long hair was almost silver, and her eyes were a dark brown. They had been married for about thirty-five years but they still stared longingly at each other, and they still held each other's hands. They were very compassionate people that accepted and loved their son more than anything. When they reached Sora Kameko's voice rang with alarm. "Sora, what happened?"

"W-we were mugged. The bastard had a gun and he was going to shoot me but Riku…," his throat locked and he had to swallow twice before he could speak again. "He was shot in the chest. He's in the ER right now."

"Dear God, my baby!" Kameko's eyes watered and she buried herself in her husband's chest; the man that had become like a second father to Sora. His normally joking and teasing face was fixed in a grim line.

"Did they tell you anything?"

This released a fresh wave of anger but Sora tried to keep it out of his voice; he didn't want to worry Kameko any further. "They said that I had to wait. Nobody's come out of his room since the ambulance arrived."

Shima nodded, and stroked his wife's back. "Alright, alright, we'll wait until a doctor comes out."

Sora ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't want to wait. He wanted someone to tell him that if they walked into Riku's hospital room they'd see his handsome face, smirking at their worry over nothing.

"Oh my god, Sora!"

He looked over and saw Kairi; she was haphazardly trying to take off her coat and hold out her arms at the same time. "Tidus called me," she said with a small sob. Her arms wrapped around him and he hugged her back, tightly.

"Kairi I don't know what to do, they haven't—"

"Excuse me? Are you Riku's family?"

Sora quickly released her, and wiped away a tear. He wasn't aware that he'd started crying again.

Shima's voice was firm and efficient. "Yes, we're his parents."

A tall man in a loosely-fitted pair of purple scrubs walked up to them and briskly shook Shima's hand. His jaw was chiseled and he wore rectangular black-rimmed glasses, enforcing his rigid demeanor. "I'm Doctor Kwan. We've managed to stop the bleeding in his chest. He's still unconscious but unfortunately we don't have the right equipment here to repair the damaged tissue. There's a cardio-vascular hospital close enough that we can reach by life-flight."

Kameko nodded frantically. "Then what are you waiting for, wind up the damn helicopter!"

The doctor nodded, and spoke slowly, like he was trying to choose his words very carefully. "We're gathering the necessary supplies right now, but if Riku…doesn't make the flight, now would be the best time if you wanted to say goodbye."

Kameko released a tearful gasp, and Sora felt a hard thud in his chest. Kairi put her arm around him but he was struck with numbness in his arms and legs.

"Alright, we…we want to see him."

The doctor nodded again, and swept his arm towards the door to the ER down the hall. Sora started panting again. To comfort Kameko he took her arm and they all began walking to the room.

"Wait, I'm sorry, we can only allow two people at once. And immediate family only."

Sora's brows began to furrow, and he was about to release a confused and angry tirade when Kameko said firmly, "Of course. This is my other son, Sora, and our adopted daughter Kairi."

He shot an even more confused glance her way, but she kept on. "Sora and I are ready. Shima, would you mi—"

"No, not at all," Shima said. He put a hand on Kairi's shoulder and nodded. "You two go first."

Sora licked his lips as Kameko proceeded to take him down the hall. "Why did yo—"

"Sugar this is a very conservative hospital. If they knew that you were Riku's partner they'd never let you into his room."

Annoyed, Sora pushed open the door to the ER, but the irritation vanished as soon as he saw Riku on the hospital bed.

_Riku_…

His best friend, his lover, and his protector, with tubes sticking out of his arms and an oxygen mask over his mouth. He heard Kameko sob and he put an arm around her as they approached the bed. His eyes were shut, his eyelids glazed from the tape. His shirt was cut away and there was a large bandage on his chest, a tiny red stain resting in the middle as a result of the drainage. One of the I.V.'s was a clear liquid, and the other was blood; his pallid flesh made it clear just how much he'd lost from the shooting.

Kameko reached out and held her son's hand, her eyes riddled with tears. "Don't worry son. You're gonna be alright. I-I have Sora here." She reached for Sora and brought him closer. "We…we know you'll be alright Riku. But…we…we love you very much so you better not make any plans to…well…," She touched Riku's forehead and kissed what little of his cheek that wasn't covered by the mask.

Sora stood mutely, just watching Kameko. There were a few stray tears on her face, but he did his best not to follow suit. Even though he was close to Riku it would be inappropriate to cry while his mother was saying her goodbyes.

After a minute she bit her lip and smiled at Sora. She rubbed his arm and stepped back. He came to the bed and took Riku's hand. It was still immobile. Often they'd hold hands while they slept, and even then when he awoke Riku's hand would be holding his firmly, like he was afraid to let him go. But the hand he was squeezing now was so limp and clammy it felt like it belonged to another person.

"Hey you…"

No response, just the hissing from the respirator.

"We've…been through a lot Riku. We've fought Heartless, Nobodies, and all those ignorant jerks that said we shouldn't date, or live together."

Nothing but beeping from the heart monitor.

"But we're stronger for it. A lot stronger! So strong that there's no way some lousy bullet is gonna do you in."

He choked, and forced his next words out with an angry bravado. "I love you Riku, so you better not die on me!"

The very word stole his breath and he dropped Riku's hand like it was acid. Forcing himself to relax he nodded at Kameko, who wrapped an arm around him and led him out of the room.

When they were in the hallway again Kairi was sitting in a waiting chair, her thumbnail caught between her teeth. Shima noticed them first and tapped her gently on the arm. She stood up and looked at Sora and Kameko questioningly.

Sora forced a smile past his lips. "Okay, we'll be out here when you're done."

Kairi nodded sympathetically and kissed his cheek before Shima led her to Riku's room. He watched them walk down the hall, feeling curious. How would Kairi say goodbye to Riku? And Shima…that poor man could lose his only son.

The thought caused him to turn back to Kameko, who was digging through her purse. "Okay honey, we've got to get to that cardio-vascular hospital. Did you drive?"

He shook his head. "No, I rode in the ambulance."

She pulled out her keys and smiled softly, white hair falling over sad eyes. "Okay, Kairi probably brought her car so would you like to ride with her or with us?"

Surprised that he was given the option he put his hands in his pockets in indecision. Reality was still going too fast for him.

Riku's parents would probably need a chance to think all of it through themselves. And Kairi might need some comforting too. "I'll go with Kairi."

Her aged eyes crinkled as her smile widened. "Okay. We'll see you at the other hospital; Kairi knows where it is."

Sora nodded back, like it was a professional matter, but he could barely hold on any longer.

Almost as if she were reading his thoughts Kameko took him into a warm hug. "He'll be alright Sora."

A sob tore from him and he held the older woman as tightly as he could. She was a slender woman, and Sora often thought he could fit two of her into his arms without trouble. Yet somehow, this tiny, delicate woman was the backbone of her family. She had a stubborn streak and a sarcastic sense of humor that shined in her son, and still, a loving smile and ambition for hard work.

With a grateful smile he let go of Kameko and sheepishly put his hands back in his pockets.

"Everything okay?"

Sora turned and saw Kairi and Shima, her eyes shiny from tears, and his face fixed with intense concentration. Apparently seeing Riku in that condition had just as severe an impact on them as it had for Kameko and Sora.

"Yeah, Sora wants to ride with Kairi to the cardio hospital. Is that okay with you sweetie," Kameko asked gently.

Kairi nodded fervently. "Of course. Should we get going now?"

"Yes, I think so. Kameko do you want me to drive?"

"Yeah, do you remember where it is?"

"Well you guys can just follow me if you want, Sora and I can—"

Their voices started to fade, Sora's brain blocking out the trivial discussion. All he could think of was Riku's face behind that oxygen mask. He saw the glass cylinder and the yellow pump from the respirator in his mind, rising and falling with air as Riku's chest should have been.

"—with you Sora? Sora?"

He was jerked out of his thoughts by Kairi's hand on his arm. "I-I'm sorry I wasn't listening."

Kairi was now right next to him and Shima and Kameko were nowhere in sight. "I was just asking if it was alright if we took off."

Recovering his senses Sora ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah let's go…"

(Asterisk)

"Yeah honey, I'll be home tonight, but it won't be until much later. Okay, thanks. Kiss Naminé goodnight for me. Alright. Love you too."

Kairi hung up and Sora couldn't help but smile. "You still haven't told Naminé you named your daughter after her did you?"

She smiled back. "Of course I have! She's tickled pink."

"I bet." A thought occurred to Sora and he reached for her cell phone. "Has anyone called those guys yet?"

Kairi flicked on the blinker. "Uh…I don't think so. Tidus called me because he met Shima and Kameko at the airport when you called them. They wanted to surprise you guys by taking their vacation here."

He felt a touch of guilt and looked out the windshield at the wipers, swinging back and forth amidst the heavy rain. Why did these things always happen in the rain? "I'm sorry Kairi; I should have called you too."

Her voice changed, becoming soft. "Don't worry about it Sora. I know you would have before too much time passed by."

That lump in his throat was back, and Sora had to swallow again before he could reply. "But still, you're one of our best friends…for Gods sake you were the first one Riku and I told about our relationship."

"So what's second place?" She smiled ironically, but her voice was still soft. He smirked sarcastically, running his thumb over the door handle. "Sora, it's okay. Why don't we just call Naminé, see if she can get a hold of Axel and Roxas?"

"Y-yeah…" he said with a stutter, tapping buttons on the red phone. It was a recent phone, pretty stylish compared to her old one. But in her contacts right under Naminé was Riku…

Sora started panting again and he put his hand on his chest.

Kairi's voice took on an edge of concern, and she turned to look at him. "Sora? What is it?"

He gritted his teeth as the emotions began to bubble over. "We were walking. We were just walking in the park, we weren't hurting anyone! What gives that son of a bitch the right to do something like that? He was going to shoot me and—,"

He felt his fists shake and he clenched the phone so hard the buttons made imprints in his skin. "Riku! Riku shoved me out of the way! That's how he got shot! He was pushing me out of the way so _I_ wouldn't get hurt! What the hell was that jackass thinking? He's unconscious in a life-flight chopper because he saved my life! Again! Damnit when is he going to stop doing that, it's gonna get him ki—"

He choked and brought his fists to his forehead. His sobs came in erratic bursts. He vaguely felt a hand gripping his leg and a swerve in the car but he continued. "I-I can't lose him Kairi I don't wa—I don't want to lose him!"

He was getting hysterical, his throat was scratchy, and as he opened his eyes all he could see was the water from his tears. He felt arms around his shoulders and he leaned into them, crying for everything he felt. Hatred, love, frustration, confusion, desperation, worry, and even gratitude; they all poured into a stream of waterworks that Sora couldn't hold back. As he released the floodgates he could hear the rain pattering on the roof of the car, the drops almost in rhythm with his cries. The sound soothed him, easing his panic. When the sobs settled down his thoughts began to make sense again. He probably needed that emotional release in order for it to happen.

Kairi stroked his hair and spoke over his last whimpers, "That hospital does heart surgeries all the time. It's just another day for them. They're going to make Riku all better. Then he'll sit up in his hospital bed, slap on that wise-ass grin of his, and say, 'what the hell's all the fuss about? It's barely a scratch.'"

Sora burst into laughter. Now that all the hysteria were past, he could see things much clearer. Riku was a fighter, had been one all his life. And he was in excellent physical condition. He worked out every morning, didn't smoke or do drugs. If _anyone_ could survive a bullet wound Riku could. He smiled and gave Kairi a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks. I'm sorry I went nuts like that."

She tilted her head, a fleck of a tear in her own blue eyes. "Don't apologize Sora; you needed to let it go. Did it help?"

He nodded and leaned back in his seat. He knew where they were: it was kitty-corner from an ice cream shop he and Roxas liked to visit because they served sea-salt ice cream. The only light was streaming in from the traffic lights up ahead, the beams broken as the rain poured down the windshield. He loosened his grip on Kairi's phone and gave her an apologetic smile. "I really do feel better. How do you feel?"

She looked into space for a moment, one hand on the steering wheel, the other in her lap, clenched. "I don't know. I guess I'm just mad that someone could do something like that to Riku and…probably get away with it."

He nodded. "Me too. Do you need to let it out?"

Kairi sighed. "You know what? I think I do. Could you put your hands over your ears please?"

Sora did as his friend asked. She then put her windows down, and let out a scream to rival a banshee's wail. That was her way. Some people needed to hit through their anger, some people talked it out, and some people cried it out. Kairi screamed it out.

When she was finished he uncovered his ears, a question written over his face. She looked back at him and replied to his unspoken words: "I think so."

He nodded. "Okay. Just let me know if you…"

"I will," she said, and started the car up again. "We've been there for each other quite often haven't we Sora?"

"Well, we're close." He laughed as a memory resurfaced. "God we even tried dating once, didn't we?"

This time Kairi laughed too as she steered. "Man that was a train-wreck."

"I'll say," Sora agreed, looking over at his friend. "I mean it seemed only natural that we should date after all we'd been through but…" he shuddered dramatically. As dear as Kairi was to him he couldn't imagine being…intimate…with her.

"Well on the bright side, that was how you and Riku figured out you belonged together," she said with a smile.

Sora smiled back. "Yeah. I thought if I couldn't make it work with you then maybe no one would love me. Then Riku said how could someone _not_ love a person like me…," his smile broadened at the memory, his heart fluttering. "I love him."

"He loves you too."

No matter how many times he heard it, the fact that it was true still made Sora warm and fuzzy inside. "Yeah."

"Alright then," she agreed. "Now get on the phone, call Naminé, and ask her where Axel and Roxas are you lazy bum!"

Sora managed a light chuckle as they continued to the hospital.

(Asterisk)

The hospital was relatively small, and the nearest parking available was the curb across the street. But as they pulled in they could both hear the loud beating of the chopper blades against the wind.

They opened the doors, but remained by the car. Dual pairs of blue eyes looked frantically for the life-flight helicopter. "Where is it," Sora yelled in frustration.

"There!" Kairi pointed, and on the other side of the building the 'copter was just clearing the trees and was getting ready to land.

_Riku_.

Sora slammed his door shut and ran for the entrance. In his rush he didn't even notice the police car in the parking lot, or the two officers near the sliding doors.

If the first one yelled Sora's name it fell on deaf ears. It wasn't until the second policeman grabbed his arm that he finally stopped to pay attention.

"Sora?"

With a last desperate glance inside the hospital doors—so close! —he turned to the policemen. Surprise hit in sudden force when he saw Wakka gripping his arm. "Wakka? What are you doing here?"

His friend with bright orange hair and sun-darkened skin had become a cop a few years ago, but they never saw him actually on the job, let alone in uniform.

Wakka's face was unusually serious. "Destiny General called us in; they said there was a mugging with a gunshot victim. I…I didn't know it was—"

Impatient he yanked his arm free as Kairi reached them. "Look he'll be fine okay, I've just got to get in there to see him!"

Her eyes darted back and forth amongst the men. "What's going on?"

The other officer, a man Sora didn't recognize, said in an assertive voice, "Sir, we need you to come down to the precinct and give us your statement on the mugging."

Incredulous, Sora's jaw dropped and he looked back at Wakka. "Are you crazy, I can't talk about that now, Riku's in the helicopter that's landing back there!"

The steady pulse of the blades had begun to quiet, signaling the chopper had touched the ground. Sora began to grow anxious as they continued talking.

"We appreciate the gravity of your situation, but we have a time constra—"

"The only _time_ constraint around here is the time I have to get in there to see Riku, now shut up and let me in!"

The other officer puffed out his chest, a purely instinctive male reaction when one's dominance or masculinity was threatened. Had it been under different circumstances Sora would have laughed. "Listen buddy we have half the—"

"Hold it, hold it guys!" Wakka interrupted, putting a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Look Ira, he's in a hurry, maybe we can take his statement later."

"You _know_ the best way to catch a perpetrator is to get as much information as soon as possible Wakka!"

"Yeah, but he—"

Sora almost pulled his hair out in frustration. He was running out of time!

Kairi shouted, "Okay, okay! Look Sora, Riku's probably still unconscious, and they'll take him right to the OR. I saw Shima's van in the parking lot so they're here if something official has to be done. Now I'll run in there, and you can just give these guys a brief rundown of what happened."

The look on his face said that Sora would rather not talk to them at all. His worry was making him frustrated, anxious. But once he got inside he would just worry even more. At least this way he could do something to help. She licked her lips and tried to phrase it delicately.

"Look, this way we can make sure he doesn't get away with it. You can help bring the bastard down. If anything happens in there I'll come out and get you, I promise, but right now the only thing we can do is wait and hope."

His blue eyes were full of questions, but she could tell he knew she was right.

"Yeah…but the _second_ you hear anything come get me okay?"

She smiled at the stubborn lilt in his voice. "You got it."

Nodding to Wakka she proceeded inside, facing the bitter smell of antiseptic.

Sora repeated every detail he could remember: six feet tall, dressed in all black with a wool cap, green eyes, long ratted hair, and a chipped front tooth. He mentioned that the gun was a nine-millimeter, and that the guy smelled like an old dumpster. They were on Inko Street, just between the thrift store and the flower shop when he burst out of the alley. He took both their wallets, which had only I.D.'s and ten dollars between them. Sora even amazed himself at the particulars he recalled. He supposed that he would be remembering that angry face for a long time.

He spoke quickly, and though Wakka was the one writing it down, and very quickly, it was the other officer—Ira—that kept demanding Sora slow down. Every time Sora's memory was called into question, it was by Ira. His fists were clenched at his sides and he was ready to punch the guy's lights out when Wakka patted his arm and said it was enough for now, but if he remembered anything else to give him a call.

Before he could commit his dose of violence for the night Sora tried to make a break for the doors. "Wait Sora!"

His fuse dangerously low, he turned back and saw Wakka give him a tentative smile. "He'll be fine."

Touched, he smiled back, and looked over at Ira. His face spoke volumes: skepticism, annoyance, and instant dislike all wrapped up in one constipated package. Sora stuck his tongue out at the man and ran through the sliding doors.

In the waiting room he found Shima holding Kameko's hand; her other hand was clutching a wadded tissue, and Kairi was standing before both of them. Her knee was bent and her thumbnail was between her teeth again. The nervous atmosphere put a shiver up Sora's spine.

"What's wrong?"

The three heads glanced his way and Shima stood up, still holding his wife's hand. "They took Riku to the operating room right away so we didn't get a chance to talk to him but…"

Sora watched Kameko's lower lip wobble and Kairi's unwavering stare. Shima never stumbled with words; he had always been a man who knew what to say. His uncertainty with the nerve-wracking situation made Sora tremble in his sneakers. "What? What's going on?"

He lightly touched his wife's cheek, then came to Sora, putting both hands on his shoulders. "The medic said he regained consciousness for a few minutes during the flight over here, but he was severely combative, so they had to sedate him. Right before he went under again he…said he wants you to be his medical proxy."

Sora felt his knees buckle and he stumbled backwards.

Shima steadied him, then pushed him down into a chair next to Kameko as Kairi came from behind the stroke his shoulder. "N-No. No, that isn't right! T-the only reason he said that is because he doesn't know you guys are in town. I can't be his p-proxy; it wouldn't be fair to you! You're his parents for God's sake! I won't—"

Kameko put her hand on top of his, the touch bringing him out of his irrational tirade. She went a step further and cupped his jaw. "Sora?" Shaking and scared, he met her eyes. Her feathered hair swayed over them. "It doesn't matter _who_ his medical proxy is, so long as we do what's right by Riku. Do you think you can do that?"

He wanted to shake his head furiously and cry like a little kid. If it came down to it he didn't want to have to be the one to pull the plug. He could never live with himself knowing _he_ killed Riku.

"Excuse me? Are you Riku's family?"

The second time they were asked that in one night, they looked over at the voice and saw a diminutive nurse holding a clipboard. "We were faxed his information a few minutes ago, then we got a call from the life-flight pilot. We need these forms signed to verify change of proxy."

His jaw dropped and he looked at Kameko again for some sign of what he should do. All she did was let go of his face and turn to stare at the nurse as she flipped a couple pages on the forms.

"He uh…listed his brother Sora?"

His legs turned to jelly Sora stood and went to the nurse. She looked confused as he approached her. "You're his brother?"

He blushed, and tried to explain. Her eyes went from Sora, to Kameko, to Shima, then back to Sora. A smile blossomed on her face and she cut him off, "I did my residency at Destiny General with my girlfriend. Save your breath."

She then tossed him a wink, and he felt a rush of admiration. If they didn't allow gay patients visitation from their partners he could only imagine how they treated gay employees. A realization came to Sora with that line of thinking. He was brave too! He saved worlds, lives, and even relationships, all before he was eighteen. Now when Riku couldn't speak for himself in a medical emergency he decided to turn chicken! No more. Riku deserved better than that.

With a determination that wasn't there before, he smiled at the nurse and took the clipboard, signing and initialing wherever she told him. When they were done he passed back the clipboard. "Thank you," he said with feeling.

She smiled back. "My name is Wendy, and Riku's doctor is Dr. Toshido. I'll be here all night so let me know if you need anything."

As she went back to the reception desk he turned to his loved ones. There was a uniform expression of pride amongst their faces. He put his hands on his hips and nodded. "Well, we've got to be strong! Can't let Riku hog all of it now can we?"

Shima smiled and crossed his arms. "Nope. We'll hang on just like him."

Kairi patted Kameko's arm and checked her watch. "Speaking of strength, do you guys want some coffee or a snack?"

Giving his back a much-needed stretch, Sora said, "What time is it?"

"It's nine on the dot."

"Well, since we've got quite a wait ahead of us coffee sounds downright wonderful about now dear, thank you. Oh yes, I meant to ask: what about your other friends, will they want to know about this?"

Sora dug through the pockets on his baggy pants, looking for some spare change. "We somehow ended up playing phone tag with Naminé. She's out of the country, but Roxas and Axel will be here by morning. Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey are too far away to make it on short notice so I don't want to worry them."

"At least they would make waiting interesting," Kairi said dryly as she passed Sora a cup of coffee. He gulped it down greedily, and in two seconds it was already gone.

Staring longingly at the percolator in the corner, he said, "We're gonna need a lot more coffee."

And so it went as the hours passed. Styrofoam cups of coffee, stale granola bars out of an ancient vending machine, and month-old articles from Reader's Digest. The waiting room TV was broken, so they did crossword puzzles together out of magazines. Kameko would read the clue, and everyone else tried to supply the answer. That worked for a while, but their available methods of distraction dwindled down and exhaustion began to rear its ugly head.

By twelve-thirty everyone was ready to drop. Sora yawned and felt his eyelids droop. He was used to late hours, but inactivity and an early wake-up call the day before made him tired. Riku once told him that he was never able to sit still for long without getting drowsy. He glanced at the doors that lead to the operating room for about the millionth time. Kairi fell asleep an hour before and Kameko covered her with the coat.

He was contemplating waking her up so she could go home. She had to meet Naminé's baby sitter in the morning then go to work. Sora was about to give her a nudge when a woman emerged from the doors. He stood and read the ID badge clipped to her hip. Finally!

"Dr. Toshido? How's Riku?"

She was in her mid-forties with blonde hair tucked into a braid. Unlike Doctor Kwan, her approach was slow and easy. Kairi had stirred awake and Shima went to stand by his wife.

She smiled. "He'll be just fine."

Sora gasped, feeling like a large padlock was unlocked from his heart. Kairi trapped him in a hug and he buried his tearful eyes into her neck.

Shima sounded choked as he said, "What happened during the surgery?"

The doctor cupped her hands as she explained. "The pericardium is a protective sac that envelopes the heart. The bullet grazed Riku's pericardial sac without actually penetrating heart tissue. He's a very lucky young man."

Sora grinned. That a boy Riku! "Can we see him?"

She gestured back to the doors. "He's in recovery now, but we have a room ready for him. We'll notify you when he's moved. Unfortunately his anesthesia combined with the sedatives he was given will keep him asleep for quite a few hours. He'll probably wake up tomorrow."

Tears ran down Sora's cheeks. Riku was going to be okay! He knew it! He saw Kameko run to the doctor and kiss her hands. "Oh thank you doctor! Bless you!"

Before the startled woman could utter a "you're welcome" Kameko rushed away to embrace her husband.

Sora smiled at Doctor Toshido. "Is there anything we should know, o-or is there something we should do once we see him?"

Her aged face crinkled with a smile. "Just talk to him. Let him know he's loved." Her eyes glanced about their little group before she left. "And there's not a doubt in my mind that he is."

As she left Sora turned to face everyone: Shima was smiling, and Kameko and Kairi's tears were flowing freely.

Shima walked over to Sora and clasped him in a hug. "He did it."

He laughed and hugged back tightly. A goofy smile of joy glued to his face Sora said, "I guess we just have to keep the big guy company now. Do you want to go home Kairi? It's pretty late and I know you've got work tomorrow."

She shook her head and wiped her tears. "Not yet. I want to see Riku first, then I'll go home. Do you need a ride," she asked.

The thought hadn't even entered Sora's head. "N-no thanks. I couldn't sleep at home with Riku here like this."

Kameko looked concerned, but Shima and Kairi's faces said they expected nothing less.

(Asterisk)

_Riku_…

There was a silent beeping that was there before, but the oxygen mask was gone, replaced with a nasal tube. There was a single I.V. coming from the back of his hand, and the same hand had a pulse monitor on the index finger. His chest had a smaller bandage over it, but it was rising and falling in perfect rhythm. His beautiful hair fell over closed eyes, and his skin had much more color than before. Sora couldn't believe how much better he looked. It was like the Riku he saw in the previous hospital was just a ghost, a cheap imitation of the real thing. With the last tears he had that night Sora bent and kissed Riku's cheek. He stifled a giggle when he felt stubble tickle his lips.

"Oh Shima…our baby." Kameko stroked Riku's hair out of his eyes.

"We'll monitor his condition very closely, and we'll have to change his dressing a lot tonight, but he should be able to go in about a week if his recovery goes well."

Kairi stared at Riku for a moment, then walked up the bed and kissed his temple. Her lips moved in a whisper by his ear then curved in a smile. She began putting her coat back on. "I'll be back tomorrow. Please give me a call if he wakes up before I get here."

They offered goodbyes as the tired friend went home. Sora had to smile. Kairi had been a trooper, staying as late as she did. Despite differences in their youth, she and Riku had grown very close over the years.

Kameko put her own coat in a chair and addressed her husband. "Well we certainly won't go home this first night. Nurse, can you get us a bed please?"

Wendy smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry ma'am but this isn't a hotel."

Sora looked around. It was a private room, so there wasn't an empty bed, and the only chairs were the tiny swivel seats. He smiled up at the elder woman. "The chairs in the waiting room were really comfortable. Maybe you could push a few together."

She looked horrified. "But…who will tell us when Riku wakes up?"

He tried his best to keep the "duh" tone out of his voice, out of respect for the worried mother. "I will. I'll stay with him here tonight. The doctor said we should talk to him anyway."

Kameko's jaw dropped and she said, "Oh Sora you've got to sleep too! Why don't we watch him in shifts?"

Sora tilted his head, noting the dark bags under her eyes. "I would be happy to take you up on that Kameko, but it's obvious even to me how exhausted you are. I'll be fine; you guys should just get some sleep," he ended on a note of slight admonition.

She was obviously about to argue when Shima put a hand on her shoulder. "You know sweetheart he's got a point. You get pretty bad jet lag, and staying up like this hasn't helped."

Still hesitant, the elder woman looked down at her only son. Sora added, "If anything happens I'll come and get you."

She eyed Sora suspiciously. "You promise?"

"I promise."

Biting her lip, Kameko took her coat back. "Alright I'll go. But it's not because I'm tired! It's just...because…you and Riku will probably have more to talk about," she ended with a yawn.

Shima put another hand on her shoulders and massaged as they walked out of the room. "Of course dear."

"It is!"

"I know sweetheart," Shima said, not a trace of sarcasm in his voice, but he winked at Sora as he followed his wife into the waiting room.

"Can I get you anything Sora," Wendy asked.

Sora smiled appreciatively. "No thanks." He looked down at his lover then felt Wendy tap his shoulder.

"Chat with him sweetheart. It gets lonely in the dark."

As he watched her shut the door, he said to himself, "And he ought to know." He turned to look at Riku.

"Hey you."

So he talked. He talked about anything and everything he could imagine, sometimes walking around the room, sometimes flipping channels on the TV, sometimes just sitting beside Riku. He wanted so much for his lover to wake up and argue with him, or agree with him; it didn't matter. He just wanted to hear that voice. So he kept talking the entire time.

"Hey Riku, you remember that Christmas season in first grade when you managed to convince me that stockings were monsters that ate presents? Of course back then I believed everything you said, I mean…you were my idol, I wanted to be just like you! So that Christmas I attacked my stocking to save my presents. Heh…mom and dad thought I was going at the stupid sock because I was so enthusiastic but I just didn't want my presents to get eaten."

Sora slipped off his sweatshirt at one point, dragging his t-shirt with it. As he pulled it back down he came across a scar on his stomach. He traced it with his finger and smiled. "The battle with Xemnas. You saved my ass. When we had that talk on the beach afterwards…I…almost didn't want to go back home. I spent all that time looking for you and we finally had some time alone to just talk. There were so many things I wanted to say to you but…I lost my nerve. And we had to go home and get our normal lives back together. When things settled down a year later we convinced everyone to come to Destiny Islands for a reunion…Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, even Leon and the gang came! Of course nobody told you that it was actually a surprise party for your birthday. You thought I was the only one that remembered, but when you arrived at the party you looked so surprised and appreciative. Riku the…the look in your eyes when you said thank you…it made me feel so warm. I think that was when my subconscious realized I was in love with you. Too bad it took me half of another year to listen to it."

He was later staring at the dark circles under his eyes in a mirror, Riku's sleeping form in the periphery of the reflection. "Do you have any idea how grateful I am that you were with me when I came out to my parents? Dad was okay with it after a month or two, but mom hasn't talked to me since that day. She's been acting like I'm not her son anymore. God Riku, if you hadn't been by my side, I might have apologized right there for putting such a burden on them." Sora laughed at himself scornfully. "Imagine that, apologizing for being myself. But nope, you insisted that there was nothing wrong with me, and that we were going to start dating very soon so I would be taken care of."

Sora had been with Riku when _he_ came out to his parents. Thankfully it wasn't nearly as dramatic as it had been with Sora's parents. Kameko looked confused for just a second, but a smile lit her face and she hugged her son without a worry. Shima's face had gotten stern at first, but then he asked Riku if being with Sora made him happy. He had said yes without hesitation, and Shima said that was good enough for him.

At about six o' clock in the morning he was stroking back Riku's hair lazily while holding his hand. "I still remember the first time we made love. You did—do—foreplay like nobody's business, but when it actually came time to…well…I changed my mind right in the middle, leaving you high and dry," he started to blush as he remembered Riku's naked body shaking in anger. "Believe me you don't have to get mad again. I know it was my fault. Then we got into such a fight about it I decided that I was _never_ going to have sex with you." He bent to kiss the creamy forehead. "We still slept in the same bed though, and after a while I got up to get a glass of water. When I came back I just sat at the foot of the bed, watching you. You're so beautiful when you're asleep Riku." Sora sat in the chair next to the bed, looking at Riku; imagining him as he was that night. He pictured the white skin glowing in the moonlight, the strong chest and abdomen heaving, sweeping eyelashes and slightly pursed lips, and long, long legs tangled in white linen. "I did a lot of thinking and realized how dumb it was to have a boyfriend as sexy as you without _some_ kind of physical relationship. So I kissed you awake and said that I'd changed my mind…and you know what? That first night wasn't so bad after all." He broke the sound barrier moaning, his body came alive with pleasures he'd never known, and his vision blurred when he came, but who needed details? And every time since was better than the last. That thought put a smile on his face as he rested his head beside Riku's waist, holding his hand tightly. His eyelids felt heavy, and before a protesting thought could register he surrendered to the dim.

Sometime that morning, in the darkest hour before dawn, a young silver-haired man twitched in his sleep, squeezing the hand of his slumberous lover.

Sora felt a hand push gently at his back and he jerked awake, looking up from the bed to see Kairi hovering over his shoulder. She had taken a shower recently, and she was wearing her pink work uniform with a nametag. Her eyes were lit with concern. "Oh Sora. Have you been here all night?"

His eyes went right to Riku, but he was still asleep. Sora let go of his hand and stretched. "Don't be silly. Of course I have. What time is it?"

Something crunched, and he saw a wrapped bouquet of flowers she had brought being placed on the nightstand. "It's 8:30. You should have gone into the waiting room so you could rest."

The brunette smiled at her and said quietly, "Well someone had to be here in case he woke up."

"And now plenty of people are."

He turned to find Kameko and Shima standing by the wall. Kameko came to him. "Sora sweetheart you've waited all night and you haven't eaten a thing since the granola bars from the vending machine."

As if on cue, his stomach growled from neglect. "Why don't you let Kairi get you some breakfast in the cafeteria? We'll let you know if something happens in here."

Shaking his head Sora hitched his thumb to Kairi. "But she's got to get to work."

She smiled and held up a small duffel bag. "I took the day off after Naminé's baby sitter arrived. I also stopped by your house and got you a change of clothes."

He looked around at the concerned faces, then down at Riku. He had no doubt Shima and Kameko would tell him if something happened, but he was just uneasy about leaving Riku's side. No, he told himself. It was strictly for selfish reasons that he didn't want to go: he wanted to be there when Riku opened his eyes, wanted to coddle and mother him. But he had a mother. "Okay then Kairi. Let's get something to eat."

Shima patted his back. "Good idea. You need to regain your strength anyway."

Sora laughed and stood up, caressing Riku's cheek with his index finger in a goodbye gesture. He took the bag from Kairi and went into the bathroom to change. "Meet me outside; I'll be just a second."

The bathroom was tiny, and there were several rails in place for disabled patients. He looked at the mirror, and was dismayed at how much darker his eyes were. Sora didn't want to admit just how physically exhausted he was from all the worry. He would probably crack and fall asleep at some point during the day, but he didn't want it to happen before Riku regained consciousness. Maybe he'd wake up after some coffee and a decent meal. Sticking with that resolve he ran some cold water and splashed his face. He changed quickly into the t-shirt and jeans Kairi brought him, his ever-present crown chain jingling around his neck. After he got out of the bathroom he dropped the duffel bag on the floor by the bed, then said bye to Shima and Kameko.

Kairi smiled at him as he emerged. "That was very nice of you Sora."

He looked over at her as they started walking towards the cafeteria in the basement. He had been a little uneasy about eating food prepared on the same floor that the morgue was located, but his stomach told him to get over it. "What do you mean?"

"Leaving the room. I know it wasn't easy for you."

The brunette tried to shrug nonchalantly as he said, "They're his parents. They deserve some time alone with him too."

She nodded. "Agreed. But it's still nice of you."

He looked over at his friend and grinned. Sometimes she surprised him with her ability to know just what to say. "Thanks Kairi."

(Asterisk)

"Kameko honey why are you fluffing the pillow; he's fine."

"Well look at you, you're changing the TV channels and the boy's asleep."

"That's not for him it's for me. There's nothing on but news at this hour."

Kameko tilted her head in a mix of adoration and exasperation at her husband. The man was such a pain in her ass sometimes, but damned if she didn't love him to the stars and back. Her heart broke a little as she looked at Riku; her baby boy. She had never known real terror until she saw him with a bloodied bandage on his chest, a machine doing his breathing for him… But it didn't matter anymore. Yes, Riku was asleep for the time, but he would be awake again in no time. As she brushed back her son's hair a thought occurred to her, and she addressed her husband, "S-Shima?"

He replied absently, still staring at the TV. "Yeah?"

"Did Sora tell you what the mugger said before he shot Riku?"

After a brief pause, the older man clicked the TV off and turned to her. "Yeah?"

She licked her lips, trying to figure out how to word her question. "Don't misunderstand, I-I don't _wish_ it were true, but...do you think life would have been easier for Riku if…," a little ashamed of herself she trailed off.

But Shima hugged her, and she leaned into his touch. Over thirty years of marriage she still found comfort in her husband's loving arms. "If he were straight?"

Tears welled behind her eyes and she looked at Riku in apology. "It just makes me so angry! Some bastard was going to kill two boys just because they're gay! And one of them was _my_ boy!"

He stroked her thin white hair, resting his chin on top of her head. "They'll get him honey." He kissed her forehead and tilted her chin upwards. She watched his aquamarine eyes flicker as he spoke. "And maybe you're right. Maybe life would have been easier for him. But it would have been a lonely, miserable life, without love or happiness. Sora and Riku have been very good for each other over the years, especially now. Besides, I think our boy's proven that he can take a challenge or two in life."

Kameko smiled and kissed her husband. "You're right. All we've ever wanted is for Riku to be happy and healthy, and the doctor said he'll be fit to go home in a week."

Her heart burst with love and she looked at her son in pride. He was a caring, intelligent, brave man. Sometimes cocky, but Shima was right: Riku was up for any challenge life had to throw at him, and in the end he always came out grinning. Thank heaven that he had someone to lean on when he faced those challenges. Sighing, she said, "That Sora's such a good boy."

"The best."

(Asterisk)

Satisfied, Sora dropped the plastic fork onto the tray, his belly fully of pancakes and sausages.

"Feel better tiger," Kairi asked with a smirk, a spoonful of yogurt at her mouth.

He grinned and took a last bite of sausage. "It's amazing how much better you feel after you eat…and cafeteria food no less."

She shrugged and sipped her orange juice. "It's good cafeteria food."

"Hmm?"

"Get the sausage out of your mouth and listen!"

"Funny, I said the same thing to Roxas last night."

They looked up to see Axel and Roxas walking their way, the latter swatting at his boyfriend. Axel was holding a small vase with yellow roses, so he tried to keep still as he was attacked. Sora smiled and got up to hug Roxas. "Hey you guys. Thanks for coming."

Roxas leaned back and smiled sympathetically. "How is he?"

"The surgery went well; Dr. Toshido said he should wake up sometime today, and be ready to leave at the end of the week."

Axel leaned down and held Sora around the neck. "That's great!"

Kairi piped up from her seat at the table. "I thought first thing in the morning for you guys meant about one-thirty in the afternoon?"

Roxas bent and kissed her cheek. "We make exceptions for special occasions."

Sora gestured to the table. "Do you want something to eat?"

Roxas shook his head. "No it's fine we ha…" he trailed off as he saw his boyfriend stare at him pleadingly. Rolling his eyes he said, "Go ahead."

Grinning, the red head passed the vase to Sora and dashed to the food line.

Sora sat back down and Roxas took a place beside Kairi. "When did you two get home last night?"

The blonde ran ringed fingers through his hair. "We didn't go out. We thought it would be a good idea to get here pretty early so we went to bed before midnight."

Despite getting an adequate amount of sleep it was obvious by the gravel in his voice that he wasn't a morning person. The black wife-beater he was wearing was wrinkled, and his hair wasn't combed. Since Roxas and Axel started seeing each other late nights and late mornings had become their routine. It worked out fine since Axel worked afternoons and Roxas had his own web page business. So they chose a clubbing lifestyle, one that seemed to suite them well.

Kairi set her empty yogurt cup aside and dabbed her lips with a napkin. She smiled at Sora and said, "That shows you how important Riku is to them Sora. They actually got to bed at a decent hour."

Sora laughed and Roxas stuck his tongue out at her. "Sure he is. If it weren't for him, Axel and I would still be stuck in darkness."

"Light sure beats it out doesn't it?" Sora asked smugly.

Axel sat down, his tray steaming from an omelet with bacon and a cinnamon roll. "Any day of the week."

Sora could smell the ham and cheese from the omelet, and the scent of the roses wafted to his nose with it. The sun spilled in from the high windows, and it was actually shaping up to be a pleasant day. He just hoped he could stay awake for all of it. Kairi started giggling, and dug the spoon back into her yogurt. It tore him out of his thoughts, and he shook himself back into the present.

"What's so funny?"

She ran her fingers through her hair. "I was just thinking. You remember when he convinced Axel and Roxas to streak at our high school graduation?"

That earned a laugh from everyone. Axel and Roxas had gone to a different high school, and they wanted to do one last prank, but they didn't want to jeopardize getting their diplomas. So Riku came up with the idea that they wear white geisha masks and streak at his school, since he graduated after they did. It ended up being one of everyone's favorite memories.

"Man that was amazing!" Axel laughed merrily over a bite of cinnamon roll.

Roxas reached over and patted Sora's hand. "That was the day we all realized that you were dating an evil genius."

Sora chuckled in agreement. "Ah yes, a wicked mastermind of teenage deviance."

His blue eyes shifted down to the flowers, and he remembered why they were talking _about_ Riku and not _to_ him. He fingered a petal absently on one of the roses.

His friends noticed his sudden foray into silence and saw his sad eyes gaze at the vase. They exchanged a brief look at each other, and Kairi nodded to Axel. He put an arm around Sora, and smiled at him affectionately. "How about after we finish breakfast you take us to see the wicked mastermind? It might do him good to have some company."

Sora smiled back, his thanks at the gesture. "Sure." He stared at the vast helping of food on the tray and warned, "But don't eat all of that too fast, you'll choke."

Axel cocked his head and let Sora go. "Huh. Roxas said the same thing to me las—Ow!" He rubbed his leg under the table while glaring at his boyfriend.

The boyfriend, for his part, had stolen a piece of bacon and was now smiling innocently back at Axel. "What?"

(Asterisk)

"Oh Roxas, hello dear!" Kameko walked over and hugged the blonde boy before kissing his cheek. "My goodness you get more adorable every time I see you."

He blushed. "Thank you Kameko." He kissed her cheek and went to shake Shima's hand, offering him the vase of flowers.

As the young brood filed back in the room the older woman made her second greeting. "And Axel, it's wonderful to see you again sweetheart."

Ever the charmer, Axel took Kameko's hand and winked. "The feeling's mutual Kameko." He kissed the back of her hand and grinned devilishly at her.

Her eyes twinkling and her cheeks pink, she flapped her hand dismissively at the flirtation. "Axel you beast! Save your gallantry for someone who'll fall for it."

Without much surprise Sora went straight to Riku's side. "No change?"

Shima crossed his arms. "I'm afraid not."

Kameko smacked her husband and started rifling through her purse. "Though how would he know, his eyes have been glued to the television the whole time."

Roxas stared at Riku for a moment, then stroked his white hair. "Poor Riku…he doesn't deserve this."

His boyfriend came to his side. "Nobody does." He took a moment to squeeze Riku's hand then looked at Sora, who was busy positioning the sheets. With a smile on his face he turned to Shima. "I bet he's barely left this room huh?"

The older man smiled and jerked his chin towards Sora as if offering proof. "What do you think?"

There was another laugh shared amongst them, and the accused was sporting enough to join in. "At least you didn't have to twist my arm to get me out of here."

Kairi rubbed his back. "Is that what it's gonna take to get you to sleep?"

At that he looked almost offended. "I'm not going to sleep! I just had some breakfast and coffee so I could stay awake."

Shima addressed him from across the bed. "Now Sora, Wendy said you barely slept last night."

He shrugged and leaned down so his head was by Riku's waist again. "I got about two hours, that'll do for now."

Axel leaned over the bed and tousled the brunette's hair. "Yeah, if you're me or Roxas. Go in the waiting room and take a nap dude."

Sora glared mildly, like a kitten at an elusive string. They were getting concerned about him again, and he didn't like it. But he did need rest, and it was still early in the day. There was a chance that Riku would still be asleep by the time he woke up. Helpless, he directed his eyes to Kameko. "Do I have to go to the waiting room?"

Her kind brown eyes shined at him. "Of course not."

Slowly and gently, she took his arm and lifted him out of the seat. As she led him to another empty chair by the window, he realized just how slow his footsteps were. Damn! He thought for sure the food would keep him awake. "Please don't let me sleep too long. Just an hour or two?"

"Sure honey," Kameko agreed, setting him down so he could lean against the wall. Kairi handed her a spare blanket from the closet, and Roxas placed a small pillow behind his head. "Sleep tight Sora."

He mumbled back, and was dead to the world almost immediately.

Shima looked at the sleeping boy admirably. "He went down easier than I thought he would."

Kairi set her purse down by the duffel bag. "He got up at four yesterday morning. Staying up until six _this_ morning must have really done a number on him."

Axel had taken Sora's seat by the bed, turning it around so his chin rested on the back. "Do you think the poor guy feels guilty about what happened, since Riku got shot saving him?"

Roxas nodded. "The way Sora's brain works he probably does. Even though we all know he shouldn't."

"Well of course he shouldn't," Axel agreed. "But you know how he is."

Shima started unbuttoning the sleeves of his white shirt. "Well as soon as Riku wakes up he can talk some sense into the boy. I don't think he'll listen to _us_."

They all nodded in agreement.

(Asterisk)

Sora was dreaming. He was riding in a canoe down a river of maple syrup, fish jumping downstream. At the bank of the river was a small puppy, dressed in a Forest Ranger's uniform. He waved to the puppy, "arf! Arf, arf! Arf, arf, arf!"

The puppy stood on its hind legs and gestured a paw past the canoe. "Take a left at the next fork in the river and go down the waterfall to get to the land of shag carpets and cough drops!"

He replied his thanks, "Arf, arf!"

"Anytime," the puppy said with a bow.

Sora turned his head to follow the directions, but he was faced with shadows. He stared into the blackness, and heard a loud bang.

"Give me your money faggots!"

Bang!

"Cheap ass fags!"

Bang!

"Go to hell! Go to hell!"

A swirling mass of black turned red. He saw Riku's face in the chaos. "Sora?"

He stretched out an arm desperately, but Riku was just out of his reach. "Sora!"

Frustrated, he kicked and threw his arms madly to get to his love, but he was just fading farther and farther away in the sea of crimson. "_Sora_!"

Sora awoke with a start, Roxas leaning over him with a hand on his shoulder. "Get up Sora!"

He looked around with alarm, but he was still in the hospital room. No banging, no redness, and no maple syrup river. He looked up at Roxas's worried blue eyes with a relieved smile. "Thanks." He looked to the bed, where he saw the others hovering over Riku, whispering. The scene brought his alarm back full-force. "What's going on?"

Roxas smiled. "Riku's stirring a lot, he's about to wake up!"

Sora gasped and leapt to his feet. He rushed to the bed, picking a spot just left of Riku's face. His head was turning back and forth, his legs were shifting, and his mouth was opened. He really was waking up!

The anticipation caused him to pant again, and he folded his hands together, squeezing until his knuckles grew white.

Then Riku's beautiful aquamarine eyes slowly opened. They were fluttering and clouded, but none the less, his lover was finally awake. Sora couldn't stop the tears even if he wanted to.

He didn't look at Sora, instead his eyes shot right to his parents, for his mother was clasping his hand. "Mom? Dad?"

His voice was graveled, tentative. Like when he awoke after a night of heavy drinking.

Kameko nodded slowly, touching her son's cheek. "Yes Riku."

He sounded confused, and he frowned as he adjusted to get more comfortable in the cramped bed. "Where am I?"

Nobody spoke but Kameko, trying to give Riku a chance to get his bearings back. "You're in the hospital sweetheart."

His frowned deepened, and he noticed the bandage on his chest. "What for? M-My chest hurts."

She nodded. "That's alright, the doctor said it might happen. You're here because…there was an incident."

A little angered at his own confusion Riku took his hand away from his mom and touched the bandage. "Why would my chest hurt mom, what is this? I-I mean the last thing I remember…" he trailed off before his eyes lit with a sudden clarity, and he shot up in bed. "Sora! Oh my god where's Sora did the—"

"Hey, hey Riku, it's okay, I'm right here." Sora grabbed a flailing hand, stopping Riku's panicking outburst immediately.

His lover yanked his hand free again, but he cupped Sora's cheeks harshly, eyes searching his face for any sign of injury or damage. "Sora, the mugger…"

He grabbed the hands that captured his face, trying to find some way to calm Riku down. "He shot once, then ran off. The guy was gonna shoot me but you shoved me out of the way, so he got you in the chest. B-but the bullet didn't pierce your heart, so the doctor said you should be ready to leave in a week, and in another six weeks you should be completely healed."

Their eyes finally made contact, and they just stared at each other for a minute, absorbing each other's presence. Sora watched the comprehension set in, letting his thumbs stroke Riku's hands, one of them covered by the IV bandage. It was so good to feel life back in those hands again.

"So you…you're okay?"

He nodded vigorously, feeling more tears spill over. "I'm okay. I'm okay because you saved my life! That's a really nasty habit of yours, you moron!"

Riku smiled, and pushed back Sora's hair. "Well it keeps your sorry butt around, so it can't be that bad."

Sora grinned, his responding laugh somewhere between a guffaw and a sob. The joy was so overwhelming he wanted to kiss the lips off his boyfriend right there, but considering they had a bit of an audience he just leaned forward and hugged him as tightly as he dared.

They heard a mock-sniffle off to the side, followed by Axel's snide voice saying, "It's a Kodak moment."

Riku tore away, a grin blossoming on his face when he saw his visitors. "Hey you guys!"

Sora backed up a little, smiled, and the sob-fest began. It was played out like a wedding, all the hugging and crying and smiles. His heart warmed as he watched his boyfriend laugh and talk with their friends, listening to stories and cracking jokes. And his heart almost burst when Riku embraced his parents.

"We were so worried about you sugar," Kameko said, brushing aside her tears. Her son took her hand, trying to ease her worry.

"Well I'll be okay for now mom. It'll just take some time to recover."

"What about the freak that mugged you guys? Do you know what's gonna happen to him," Roxas asked.

They looked over at Sora for information, who shrugged and just told them what he knew: "I told Wakka everything that came to me, and he said to give him a call if I remember anything else. But it's a solid investigation and with Wakka taking part in it we know the department won't just shrug it off."

Riku smiled, looking satisfied. "Goodie. Then when they catch the bastard he'll be charged with petty larceny and attempted murder!"

"Riku! Language!" Kameko admonished.

He growled and his cheeks went red while the group laughed. Even though he was a grown man, Kameko still didn't like hearing her "baby boy" curse. Sora bit back a giggle, too polite to mention that Kameko had sworn a few times during the past day.

"I'm just glad that you're okay "Mr. Hero"," Kairi told him with a laugh.

He raised a brow at her. "Mr. Hero?"

"Well come on, you've saved everybody in this room at least once, what's next? Helping old ladies across the street?"

Shima smirked and put an arm around his scowling son while Roxas said, "Or pulling kittens out of trees?"

"Are you all crazy?" Axel said incredulously. "His life-saving pattern clearly dictates that he should be rescuing babies from house fires by now!"

Riku pursed his lips and tossed a pillow at Axel. "Okay you people, can "Mr. Hero" please have a moment alone with his boyfriend?"

Sora blinked, a little taken aback at the request for privacy.

"Of course Riku. We'll head down to the gift shop and see how many tacky presents we can stuff into this room." Shima gave his son a hug, disheveled his hair, then walked to his wife, who was busy pouring some ice water into a cup.

As goodbyes were exchanged Sora looked at the clock in the corner, surprised to see that he'd only slept for about a half-hour before Riku woke up. Time flowed very strangely in a crisis.

"Here's some water if you get thirsty honey. And if you need us, just have Sora come to the gift shop."

Riku smiled as he took the cup, and leaned forward to kiss his mom. "Thank you mom. I will."

Sora watched the others leave, thinking he could have saved everyone the pain if he had just protected Riku better. "OW!" He yelped, then grabbed his arm. Then again… "What was that for?"

Riku frowned at him. "You're brooding, I can always tell."

He scoffed and started to glare at his attacker before he noticed that he had one arm held up and had scooted over on the bed. "Uh…what are you doing?"

His lover tilted his head, like the answer should have been obvious. "Get up here."

Blue eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. He lowered his tone to an angry whisper. "Riku I am _not_ having sex with you in your condition!"

The silver-haired man did a very good job of looking offended. "Sora, please, I don't need sex! At the moment anyway," he winked, and Sora rolled his eyes. "But I've been shot. I almost lost my life, and I almost lost you, so I kind of want to be close to you right now if you don't mind!"

Appalled at himself Sora immediately kicked off his shoes and hopped onto the bed. Raised arms wrapped around him, and he snuggled into their warmth. Riku could only lie on his back so Sora turned slightly onto his stomach, putting an arm around a muscled waist. He felt instantly comforted back in Riku's arms; it was a place that had always felt natural and happy, ever since they were little kids.

His protector tapped his arm. "Sora?"

"Hmm," he hummed idly, trailing his fingers over warm flesh.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

The question gave him pause and he looked up at Riku in curiosity. "Happened?"

He nodded. "When I was asleep."

Sora licked his lips. Where to begin? "Well…after the ambulance arrived I called your mom and dad…"

He told him everything; how he said goodbye at Destiny General just in case, his breakdown with Kairi, meeting Wakka and Ira, Wendy the Wonder Nurse, and his all night diatribe to keep Riku company in his sleep. "Then after breakfast we came back in here, I fell asleep in the corner, and the next thing I know Roxas is shaking me, telling me that you were about to wake up."

Riku sat completely immobile, soaking everything in. "I…made you proxy? I can't remember anything to do with a helicopter, let alone waking up."

Sora shrugged. "Memory loss isn't unusual with anesthesia or sedatives."

"I guess not. But I think that's a good idea. I should have made you my medical proxy much sooner."

He stared at Riku, his mouth open in surprise. "What about your mom and dad?"

He stroked Sora's soft cheek with his thumb. "I got lucky this time, because they were visiting us. But my parents won't always be in town, and you and I live together."

Blue eyes shifted, thinking things over. To drive his point home Riku kissed his forehead and tilted his chin upwards. "You're my partner Sora. That's how it should be."

The brunette smiled at him tentatively. "Okay…," he said, and snuggled closer. Riku smiled back and stroked his lover's hair. He was still feeling weak and his chest hurt like hell, but he wanted to be as close to his boyfriend as possible. Everything Sora told him was just a dark haze and their contact helped ground him, keep the whirlwind of events from feeling like a dream. There was a shuddering movement in his arms, and he frowned when he realized Sora was crying.

"What's wrong?" Riku asked quietly, holding him a little tighter.

He shook his head furiously, brown spikes swaying. "I was so afraid…that it would never be like this again. That you…might not make it. I mean I convinced myself that you would, but that worry was just nagging at the back of my head."

"Sora?"

Blue eyes met aquamarine tearfully.

"We shouldn't dwell on what could have happened. I survived. We should be focusing on what _will_ happen. We won't let that bastard take over our minds, because then he's won."

Sora reached up and stroked a sliver of hair away from Riku's cheek. "But we can't forget it either."

He nodded evenly. "That's right. So sometime while I'm here I'll give Wakka my account of what happened too. Then when we get home we'll make out our last will and testaments in case something happens to either of us. Then maybe we could brush up on our combat training since we are a little out of practice. Other than that, we'll let it go."

The brunette nodded silently. Riku made it all sound so cut and dry. "I don't know if I _can_ let it go that easily Riku. You almost died. Damn, if it weren't for me…"

"What," Riku snapped.

He jolted in surprise at the angry tone. "Huh?"

"If it weren't for you _what_ Sora? I wouldn't be here now? Well you're right! I would be dead. You called the ambulance didn't you?"

"Well…yeah, but—"

"And you talked to me the whole night?"

"That's not—"

"And you're with me now right?"

"Yes!"

"Then shut up and stop thinking that _any_ of this is your fault!"

Sora frowned, his lower lip stuck in a pout. "Fine! You big jerk."

They stared at each other for a moment, locked in anger, until Sora's mouth twitched. Riku tucked his lips, and a familiar twinkle lit his eye. It didn't take long for the pair to burst out laughing, chuckling and convulsing on the bed.

As they laughed together Riku rubbed a hand over the bandage on his chest, grinning madly.

Ever the worrier, the brunette noticed the action and said, "Are you in pain?"

The older man shook his head. "No big deal, my stitches just tug from laughing." Before he had to deal with another round of questions concerning his health, Riku changed the subject: "So how little sleep have you gotten?"

Sora laughed, and fell for the tactic. "Am I really that predictable? I got a couple early this morning, then I got a half-hour right before you woke up."

His lover smiled. "If you wanted to sleep here I wouldn't mind."

"Maybe later. For now I just want to lay here and…be with you," he said, using his hand to cover a yawn.

Riku ran a finger down the younger's jaw-line, feeling a very slight presence of five o' clock shadow. At eleven o' clock in the morning it was forgivable. Sleepy blue eyes wafted open and shut, and brown hair fell in sensual spikes to frame a youthful face. Sora didn't like to accept that he was a sexy person, despite Riku's numerous protests. But it was true; he was attractive in a way that wasn't too effeminate or too masculine either. He was just…beautiful. "I love you Sora."

The brunette smiled sleepily. "I love you too Riku," he whispered, then inched his face forward, and kissed his lover. It was such a welcoming change of contact, responsive and soft, that Sora didn't scoot back into place. He just sat there, letting the kiss and intimate touch of heated flesh lull him into a deep, deep sleep.

~* (Three Days Later) *~

Sora ran his fingers through his hair as he walked down the hospital hallway, adjusting the backpack on his shoulder. Bitter and protesting the whole time, he had gone back home the second day of Riku's stay in the hospital. He still spent most of his daytime with Riku, but he just went home every night to keep the grouch happy. He'd made his statement to Wakka on the third day, Kameko and Shima had extended their trip to Destiny Islands by a week, and Naminé was supposed to be landing earlier that morning, so she was going to visit the hospital after she dropped things off at her apartment. In a few more days Riku would be ready to go home, then after that was the six-week recuperation period. Sora could hardly wait.

"Hey Sora!"

He turned around, and smiled when he saw Wendy jogging up to meet him. "Hey Wendy, how's it going?"

In their short time at the hospital, Riku had grown quite a fan club amongst the staff. He had talked the ear off the night-shift janitor, two of his nurses, and as soon as they met he had hit it off with Wendy and Dr. Toshido. He said that he should be honored to be looked after by such beautiful women, making both of them blush and giggle.

She grinned at Sora. "Great. I'm just finishing up my shift for the night and I thought I'd say hello."

Blue eyes widened and he checked his watch. "At ten in the morning?"

Wendy shrugged, her brown hair falling off her shoulders. "Well I had nights, and I took mornings for today, but one of my buddies just pulled through so I can make it home for breakfast."

"Save some lesbian biscuits and gravy for me," he joked with a smirk, adjusting his backpack again.

She gave him a light shove, though given how petit she was it didn't do much. "You couldn't handle biscuits and gravy fairy boy. We'll start you off with some lesbian omelets and see how it goes from there."

Sora laughed and patted her arm. "Take it easy Wendy."

"See you later!"

He continued his trek to Riku's room, and smiled as he started to hear voices when he got closer.

"Must we have this discussion _every_ time we talk?"

"It's an ongoing argument that needs to be decided!"

"Hello? Is anyone listening to me here?"

As Sora ducked his head into the room he saw Kairi standing by the window with her arms crossed, Roxas straddling the foot of Riku's bed, legs dangling off the sides, and Axel by the TV counting off his fingers. Besides their friends there were seven individual flower arrangements, one set of balloons, a paopou fruit pillow, and a bunch of get-well cards keeping Riku company.

"May I butt in?"

Heads swiveled towards him and Riku smiled in greeting. "Hey you."

He went to the bed and kissed his boyfriend, dropping the backpack on a nearby chair. "What's all the fuss about? I could hear you guys all the way down the hall."

He chuckled and responded, "No big deal. They're just continuing the great debate: Should Kairi marry Taro?"

Sora rolled his eyes and laughed before hopping onto the bed. "Will you guys _ever_ stop arguing about that?"

Kairi flailed her arms in a helpless gesture. "I keep telling them that it's not their decision, but they won't get it through their thick heads!"

Roxas tossed his hair carelessly. "I say she should! For crying out loud they've been dating for two years, they live together, they even have a kid," he pointed out.

"That's just it, why mess with a good thing? She shouldn't have to put a marriage label on something just because it doesn't fit the Home and Garden version of a family." Axel spread his hands and leaned back against the wall, his case closed.

The blonde man tightened his lips in anger and jumped off the bed. "Just because _you_ can't commit to save your life Axel, doesn't mean Kairi isn't allowed to," he growled, then stormed out of the room.

Dead silence followed the outburst until Riku said, "Whoa, Axel. What the hell was that about?"

The red-head looked as stunned as everyone else. "I don't know, that came out of nowhere." He came away from the wall and followed his boyfriend.

Kairi approached the bed, blinking. "That was weird."

With the extra room Sora snuggled closer to Riku, continuing to stare out the door. "I'll say." He decided to let the tense matter go, and looked at Kairi. "So, _are_ you two gonna get married?"

Kairi laughed and put her hands in her pockets mischievously. She pulled her left hand back out to reveal a sparkling diamond ring.

Sora gasped, and Riku took her hand to examine the ring. Impressed, he gave a low whistle. "I'll take that as a yes."

The band was yellow gold, and there were three simple diamonds on it, the middle stone a bit larger than the other two. Her eyes gleamed as her friends looked at ring. "I planned on telling everyone today, but with the way those two are fussing over the whole thing I'll make them sweat it out for a bit."

The patient smiled at her happily. "So Taro finally popped the question huh?"

"And I owe it all to you mister," she said, patting him on the arm.

The brunette grinned and slapped the bed where Roxas had sat. "Well come on woman! Tell us what happened!"

She plopped on the bed, playing with the ring. "When I got home the night Riku was shot, Taro and I spent an hour talking about being grateful for each other, what would happen to Naminé if one of us died, and lots of other stuff. Right before he went to sleep he said that it was such a bad idea to leave things unfinished. Then last night we ate dinner, tucked Naminé into bed, and went to the living room to watch a movie, but he said that he lost the remote again. We started looking for it, and Taro suggested I check the couch. I was about to chew him out for losing the damn thing, but when I moved the cushions…I found the little black box!"

Her voice went up and octave towards the end and Sora clapped his hands together with excitement while Riku started grinning.

"Then I asked him, 'Are you doing what I think you're doing,' and he smiled and said that he was just finishing what he started."

"Oh my god! That's so romantic," Sora exclaimed giddily.

Riku deadpanned, "So did you ever find the remote? Ow!" He scowled at the double assault, an elbow jab from Sora and a slap on the arm from Kairi. "Gunshot victim here! Jeez!"

Kairi continued to twirl the ring over her finger, smiling at it. "I'd been hoping that he would ask me for a while now, but I didn't want to put any pressure on him so I didn't say anything."

Sora shook his head, leaning back against his boyfriend. "See, that's your biggest mistake. Good relationships are based on communication."

Said boyfriend nodded. "I agree. You said Taro proposed after you guys talked about your future. Talking always helps."

"Taro proposed?"

They looked over at the soft voice and saw Naminé at the door, a gift bag in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. Her cheeks were a little pinker than usual, sunglasses perched on the top of her head, and her blonde hair was strewn about her face. Sora smiled; she had walked to the hospital.

Her flip flops slapped against the floor as she hurried over to them, and she tapped Kairi. "Later I want to hear all about it! Meanwhile," she opened her arms and hugged the silver-haired patient before kissing his cheek. "How do you feel Riku?"

He smiled predatorily, his eyes zeroing-in on the gift bag. "I'm feeling just fine if whatever's in that bag is for me."

She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head with a smile as she passed him the bag. "Typical. The man gets shot and all he can think of are presents."

Riku grabbed the bag greedily, yanking out the tissue padding. "Are you kidding? Presents and cards for getting mugged? I'm living it up for the next three days. Aw Naminé, you angel." He smiled and pulled out a jar of green stuff, the lip wrapped in a matching bow.

She set the bouquet aside and kissed Sora's cheek as Riku took off the bow and opened the jar. "I thought you'd appreciate some refreshing mint jelly."

Sora leaned over, taking a deep breath and catching the scent of mint. "Mmm! That's your favorite cure-all, huh Naminé?"

"Why not, it's always a hit." Riku sampled a touch of jelly off the rim then offered the lid to Sora, who took a tentative finger and scooped out the green treat.

He moaned in delight at the minty sweetness. "All we need now is a leg of lamb."

"Yeah but I can't afford a regular leg of lamb on my salary," Naminé laughed.

Kairi stared longingly at the jelly and asked with dismay, "How long do I have until I start starving myself to fit into the perfect wedding gown?"

Sora pretended to mull it over. "I think the equation is that however many months you're engaged, is how many _days_ you're forced to starve yourself."

"Thank God! I'm going to the cafeteria and grabbing fifty packets of crackers and a butter knife," she said as she hopped off the bed.

Naminé dropped her purse on the nightstand. "Don't leave now you've got to tell me about Taro's proposal!"

"Well come with me then," she urged.

Feeling a little guilty, the blonde looked back at her wounded friend. She felt bad enough about not being in the country when it happened, she didn't want to abandon the room two seconds after arrival.

But Sora was preoccupied with the jelly and Riku shrugged with a wink. "Don't worry about it, I'm not going anywhere."

She smiled and hugged him again. "I'll be back."

With that, the two girls disappeared into the hall. Sora licked his finger with a sigh. "That stuff is too good to be legal. Let me check, I think there might be pot mixed in there." He tried to reach for the jar but Riku was drifting it out of his reach. "Hey!"

"Hey what," his boyfriend asked slyly, a strange glint in his eye.

The brunette stopped reaching, and stared at the glint suspiciously. "W-what are you doing?"

He placed the jelly on the nightstand and adjusted so he was almost on top of Sora. Grinning he said, "Alone at last."

Blue eyes widened until all the white around the edges was visible. "Are you out of your mind? I told you I'm not having sex with you in here."

Riku tilted his head amiably and inched closer, too close to mistake his intentions. "Mmm…I heard what you said. And maybe I can't convince you to put out but could you at least neck with me for a few minutes?"

His brows rose. "Put out? Necking? How old _are_ you?"

"Old enough. Come on, ever since I got shot you've been treating me like a china doll. You know that's not my style!"

"I know exactly what your style is Riku," Sora said wisely, though his cheeks were bright pink.

He stroked a bright cheek with his thumb and asked, "Then why all these gentle pecks and French-style hugs?"

The younger man chuckled without humor. "You _know_ why," he said sadly. He knew Riku wasn't a weakling, but if he felt tugging at his stitches just from laughing then Sora didn't want to think what would happen if they were to get a little rough. "I don't want you to exert yourself," he said, thinking out loud.

His lover blinked in surprise. "How can I exert myself making out?"

In a flash Sora's somber mood lifted, and he grinned. "I've seen you do it before tough guy, don't act so surprised."

Riku rolled his eyes and reasoned, "Well think about it, even if I were to 'exert myself,' wouldn't this be the best place to do it? Plenty of trained medical personnel at our disposal, all with the press of a button."

Sora tilted his head. That hadn't occurred to him before. Maybe— "Oh no! You are _not_ gonna talk me into this!"

The glint returned to aqua eyes, and a hand came out of nowhere to travel up tanned legs. "You sure about that Sora? I can be very convincing."

He didn't have to be convinced, that was the problem. His heart was thudding, his temperature was up, and his thigh was quivering where Riku was running his hands over it. As active as his sex life usually was, the draught before the mugging and the lack of it during the past week had left the brunette rather eager for physical contact. Well…he wouldn't have sex in a public place, no question there, but he supposed there was nothing wrong with a few innocent kisses. It was like grabbing a quick snack before dinner, just something to take the edge off.

Sora licked his lips and curled his leg invitingly over a pale hip. "Fine Don Juan, I'll 'neck' with you for a few minutes, but nothing else! Understood?"

Riku smiled, clearly pleased that he was getting his way. "Understood, boss." He cupped Sora's cheeks and leaned forward, warm lips contracting the air-conditioned chill of the room.

(Asterisk)

Kameko dug through her purse, pawing angrily at its contents. Her husband was chuckling quietly next to her as they walked down the hall. "Shima would you shut up over there and make yourself useful? Tell me where the hell I put that damn present!"

"In your other skirt," he supplied.

"Ha-ha, you're a real riot. Ahh. Here it is," she said with a satisfactory smile, producing a Tupperware container.

Smiling, Shima shook his head at his wife. "Should you really be feeding him that contraband while he's still in the hospital?"

Her brown eyes lit defensively. "Of course I should! For all the fuss these doctors make over a good diet, they don't know anything about serving a decent home-cooked meal! And you know, half the time they—"

Shima reached over and took her hand, and she stopped her rant to look at her husband. He shot her disarming smile and squeezed. She stared suspiciously at their linked hands, then up at him again. "What's this for?"

"Just for fun," he said, and leaned over to kiss his wife's cheek.

She smiled for a moment, but then her frown fixed itself back in place. "You can't fool me Shima! I know a distraction when I see it."

"Then you should be able to see that it's working," he said.

"It's not working at all," she protested, while squeezing his hand back. She looked up with a smile and saw a young foursome approaching. "Hey kids!"

Axel and Roxas were holding hands as well, though Axel looked like he was feeling a little guilty. Kameko decided to save that detail for a later investigation. Kairi was holding an armful of cracker packets, and…Naminé!

"Oh Naminé, hi sweetheart, did you just get in?" She let go of Shima's hand to hug the young girl.

The blonde smiled. "Hi Kameko," she said with an air kiss to the wrinkled cheek. "Yeah, the boys let me go with Kairi to get some crackers from the cafeteria for my mint jelly. I thought Riku could use some."

Kameko turned to Shima with satisfaction. "See? I'm not the only one bringing him contraband!"

The older man held up his hands in a helpless 'who me,' gesture. "Just remember, you're the ones giving him these goodies."

Naminé put her hand on her hip mock-petulantly. "And what's that supposed to mean Shima?"

He snuck past the young brood and held the doorknob to Riku's room with his hand. "Oh nothing, just when the nurse asks about his elevated sugar levels don't try to blame that one on the doctor."

The door opened with a click, and there was a slight scuffle before Kameko pulled the door shut again. "Excuse me, Shima. But they're the ones who keep dropping his sugars with all those I.V. solutions. They should thank us," she finished loftily, and walked into the room. She looked over and smiled at her son, who was smiling back benignly. Then she saw Sora, who was straightening his t-shirt. A little frown forming on her face she stepped to the youth, clucking her tongue. "Honestly Sora, you should run a comb through your hair before you leave the house, you're not a hobo."

"Yes Sora, learn to brush your hair properly. You look positively disheveled," Axel said, a note of mischievousness in his voice that only the young ones caught. Kameko and Shima didn't have an entirely inactive love-life, and they were very intelligent adults, but they both seemed to have a blind-spot when it came to their "little boy" and his romantic activities.

Sora glared at Axel while Kameko hand-combed his hair. Riku tried to hide his laughter, but Roxas noticed the little sound, and was well-aware of where it came from. So his boyfriend couldn't embarrass them further, he decided to intervene. "So how about we enjoy some mint jelly people?"

"Now wait a minute," Kameko said, and shoved a Tupperware container under her son's nose. "I brought some homemade beer bread that will go wonderfully with that!"

Kameko's beer bread was an unusual creation. It smelled awful, but it tasted sweet and buttery.

The bunch circled Riku's hospital bed, and he smiled at his mother. "Thanks mom," he said.

Shima pulled out the tray by the nightstand and set it over Riku's lap. Kairi got out the napkins from the cafeteria, and Naminé handed Kameko a plastic knife.

As they started spreading the confection over the steaming bread, Sora smiled at his place by Riku. They were incredibly lucky to have such great loved ones by their side. Funny when they needed a laugh, loving when they were lonely, and they were always willing to lend an ear if there was a problem.

A warm hand snuck under his, and he smiled at his partner's twinkling eyes. He was also lucky to have the most amazing boyfriend in the world. Kameko passed him a piece of bread with jelly, and just before he took a bite, he held it out like a piece of pizza, staring at it thoughtfully.

Kairi observed this and asked him, "What's up Sora?"

He smiled, and put an arm around Riku. "I'd like to propose a toast."

"With bread," Axel asked in a deadpan tone.

After Roxas smacked his arm Sora continued. "To Riku…"

Curious, the others waited for him to finish, raising their slices of bread.

"Don't get shot again," he said, and fed the beer bread to a grinning Riku.

The group started laughing and nodding with murmurs of agreement. And for the rest of the day, the halls of the cardio-vascular hospital echoed with laughter.

Epilogue: ~*(A few months later)*~

There was warmth spreading through the house as snow fell outside. It fell in playful flurries, inviting people to come outside and make fun memories. At Riku and Sora's house they were getting things ready for the Christmas party they were holding. Numerous holiday décor ran throughout the house, along with smells of rich foods and scented candles.

Sora was standing at the dining room table, staring hopelessly at a certain placemat. "Riku? Could you come here a minute?"

After a loud clanking from the kitchen, muted footsteps were heard over soft carpet. Riku approached him in khakis and a dark green turtleneck sweater, his long silver hair pulled back for his work in the kitchen, a red apron over his shirt and pants, and an oven mitt on one hand. "Good timing I just fini—uh-oh," he said, observing Sora's state over the table, his normally brilliant blue eyes cobalt with sorrow. Every year it was the same, Riku just had to help it pass. Preparing himself for the pep-talk, he took off the oven mitt.

"Sora, why are you torturing yourself like this?"

The brunette crossed his arms in a solemn pout. "Because I'm a masochist. I don't know why I bother setting her a place. Every year we send her an invitation, and every year she sends it back unopened."

"At least your dad shows up," Riku consoled, wrapping strong arms around Sora's waist. Even though Sora's dad had come to term with his son's sexuality, he couldn't convince his wife to see the light, no matter how hard he tried. "And a lot of other people come that love you, just the way you are."

The younger man leaned into warm arms, staring fixedly at the table. "Yeah. But it's just…it's my mom Riku. And it's Christmas."

"I know. I know," he said, feeling for his lover. He knew he was very lucky; his parents never had a problem with him being gay. Sora's mom virtually cut him out of her life. He hated that someone as kind and honest as Sora was being punished for something he couldn't help, not to mention something that wasn't even wrong.

He turned the brunette in his arms and cupped his cheeks. "But listen to me. This isn't your fault. She's the one that cut you out, and she's the one who thinks love is conditional. There's nothing wrong with you, or the way you live. Okay?"

A couple tears welling at the corners of his beautiful eyes, the brunette nodded.

"Okay," he agreed. Though he knew the words to be true, it helped to hear them from a secondary source. He managed a smile for his partner.

He soon found himself swept up in a kiss, seduced by the heated smell of cinnamon-scented candles. His arms wrapped around the silver-haired man's neck, standing on his toes to press their mouths closer together. Enjoying the little display of eagerness Riku ran his hands up and down the brunette's back in encouragement.

They barely heard the doorbell, but at the insistent ringing they reluctantly parted. Riku pressed his lips to Sora's forehead, breathing heavily. His voice was husky with desire as he whispered, "I'm ready to unwrap my present now."

Sora smiled, tapping his fingers against the soft sweater. "Be patient Santa," he soothed. In a primitive gesture he nuzzled against Riku's chin before the phone started ringing. He waved his boyfriend away and he left the dining room to answer the door while Sora looked for the phone.

He smiled in satisfaction when he reached the cordless receiver buried in a pile of books. "Hello," he said cheerily.

"Sora? Hey man, it's Wakka."

The brunette blinked in surprise, then got back to work rearranging placemats and napkins for dinner, balancing the phone between his ear and elbow. "Hey buddy, change your mind?"

"No man I'm sorry, I can't make it this year; they got me working all night. And I'm supposed to be on patrol, but when I saw this report I knew I had to call you myself."

Sora stopped what he was doing and gripped the phone with his hand again. The serious tone in his friend's usually cheerful voice gave him worry. "What is it," he asked with concern.

"That guy that mugged you and Riku six months ago?"

"…Yeah?"

(Asterisk)

The back door was in the kitchen, and as Riku walked by the counter he managed to sneak a bite from one of the holiday cookies. He set the crippled gingerbread man back on the platter and rushed to receive the guests.

Just as he'd opened the door, a blur of black and red rushed past his vision. He whirled around and Axel was hopping up and down comically, rubbing gloved hands together.

Riku blinked his bright eyes. "Won't you come in?"

The red-head glared at him as he blew into his hands. "Go to hell, pretty boy!"

After Roxas bustled in Riku shut the door with his eyebrow cocked. "Maybe you could join me Axel. Hell's a lot warmer."

Axel kicked off his boots and ran to the oven to put his hands by the vent without even taking off his gloves or jacket. "Damn right it is! I hate the cold!"

His boyfriend rolled his eyes while he was taking off his scarf. "You are such a baby Axel; it's just thirty degrees out there!"

Green eyes dazzled with anger as he practically ripped off his gloves. "'Just' my ass! Do you forget I'm a Fire Element here? FIRE! Got it memorized?"

Roxas shook his head as he passed Riku a bottle of wine and kissed his cheek. "You'll have to excuse our friend here, if it's anything less than beach-front weather he thinks he's in danger of hypothermia."

Riku laughed as he pushed Axel away from the oven to baste the turkey. The red-head eyed his boyfriend in amusement in a rapid change of mood. "Hypothermia? Well then maybe we should get naked and share our body heat, huh Roxas?"

The blonde blushed and slapped helplessly at his assailant. "Oh would you get off me you perv? We're not even at the party thirty seconds and you can't keep your hands to yourself!"

Rolling his aqua eyes their host felt his cheeks warm as he bent over the turkey, golden skin with green herbs on top for seasoning. It still had a few hours to go, but the scent was already filling the house. He smiled and noticed Sora stepping into the kitchen out of the corner of his eye. "Hey Sora, the gropers have arrived. And look, they brought wine!"

He shook the heat off his face as he shut the oven and smiled at his partner. Then he saw the blank, stunned look on his face. "Sora? What is it?"

The brunette's blue eyes were shining more than usual, likely from tears. His hands were hidden under the overly-long sleeves of his sweater and he hadn't moved from the entrance to the kitchen. "Wakka called. They found the guy that mugged us."

The words made Riku freeze in place while Axel let go of Roxas. "He uh…committed suicide. He was lying in an alley on Justice Street with a single gunshot wound to the head. The gun in his hand matched to the bullet they pulled out of your chest six months ago, and he matched the descriptions we gave. He was still carrying his ID around in a battered wallet, and it turns out he was a schizophrenic patient that escaped from the mental home last year. No family, no friends, no loved ones at all."

There was silence in the kitchen for a minute as they all absorbed the news. Sora looked at Riku questioningly, playing with his fingers and waiting to take his cue from him. "Are they sure it was a suicide," Roxas asked quietly by Axel.

He nodded, almost obediently. "Yeah. They said it's really straightforward, so there's no need to investigate. Wakka just wants us to…come down and identify the body later this week. You know, to make sure."

He stepped towards Riku, and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay with that?"

Riku almost appeared lost in thought, but he looked at Sora and smiled. "Yeah. We'll go to the station on Thursday, so we can still get ready for New Years Eve. Okay?"

The brunette blinked, but smiled back. "Okay. …Okay?"

The older man paused for a moment, but nodded and hugged Sora. "Okay."

After a pregnant pause, Axel thankfully broke the silence. "So, what's on the menu this year? Please say it's something hot!"

(Asterisk)

Guests began to arrive in hoards after Roxas and Axel. Newlyweds Kairi and Taro showed up next, bringing the same bottle of wine as Axel and Roxas. Kairi and Roxas were a bit irritated by the coincidence, though it was highly amusing to everyone else. Naminé came next, looking like a snow angel in her white coat and ear muffs. The image was only enhanced by her flaxen hair and bright pink nose.

"Jeez Naminé, you're lucky you didn't get lost out there, nobody would ever find you," Roxas joked.

She glowered at him as she put her coat on a hook. "You know, white isn't that bad of a color Roxas."

"Yeah, as long as you don't go blind wearing it all the time."

After Naminé had settled in Riku's parents arrived, Tidus right behind them.

"Selphie sends her best wishes, and she's very sorry that she can't come."

Sora was helping Tidus take off his coat.

"Don't worry about it; if she's not feeling well I'd rather she get some rest."

Tidus flicked his blonde hair out of his eyes, brushing away the snow. "Where's Roxas, I wanted to ask him about his new website."

Hearing the knock at the door, Sora hitched his thumb dismissively. "He's in the living room. He'll be grateful for the rescue from Axel."

His blonde friend turned around, walking backwards out of the kitchen. "Has he been at the eggnog?"

Sora chuckled, "No, thank God," he said, and opened the door. He paused in surprise.

"Hey son."

"Dad," Sora said breathlessly, and threw his arms around his dad. He had to stand on his toes just to give the man a proper hug. He was graying, and his face was harder than his youth where he didn't have to deal with family burdens. His blue eyes barely sparkled anymore. But he was a much kinder man than he looked. The trials of his life just happened to show on his weary face.

Sora held him at arm's-length and smiled at his old man. "Aw, how are you dad?"

"I'm great kiddo." He paused to sniff the air coming from the oven. "Oh, Riku's bird smells better every year."

He laughed with joy. He missed this man so much. But because of his mother they couldn't visit, and it was harder and harder for Kisho to make trips on his own. "Don't let him hear that! Come on in, Riku's parents are already here!"

Kisho hesitated, looking behind him. "Just a minute."

Confused, he looked beyond his dad's coated shoulder. He saw a crouched shape walking in a black coat and black party hat. It was a very tacky had with an obnoxious flower that he remembered vividly from his childhood.

…It couldn't be!

"M-mom?"

From under the hat rose a very thin, very pallid face. "Sora," she said gruffly, shuffling slowly but surely from the driveway.

He smiled and almost went to help her, but his dad's gloved hand stopped him. The look on his face told Sora that she hadn't changed her mind about anything. It was confirmed when Kisho shook his head solemnly.

Sora was confused. If his mother still didn't approve, then why would she…

Before he had time to ponder further, Kisho was holding her thin elbow and helping her in from off the stoop. She was acting a lot older than she was too. "Thank you dear. Sora those steps are awful, you really must put some salt down."

He winced mentally at the criticism, but he put his hands in his pockets while his dad shut the backdoor. "Hi mom."

She looked up at him from her crouched stature, almost indifferently. Like he was someone she ran into at the grocery store or country club, not her own flesh and blood. "Sora," she said again, equally gruff.

He almost offered to take her coat and hat, but she wiped down her long black skirt sharply as she said, "We can't stay long. We have to go to the Christmas party at the church. You remember church, don't you young man?"

The blow was unmistakable, and he had to clench his fists in his pockets.

"Honey, please don't be rude to the boy."

She shrugged and fiddled with her gloves. "I'm not being rude, I'm merely trying to tell him that…"

"He gets the point! So why don't you just tell him what you came here to say?"

She gasped at her husband's impatience and sighed, looking off to the side. It was a good minute before she made eye contact with her son. For the first time in ten years.

"It would seem that I've…contracted… pancreatic cancer."

Sora felt his heart skip a beat. His mouth dropped open and he looked at his dad to be sure. It was true. Kisho wore his emotion in his eyes.

But his mother just sighed impatiently. "Basically this is my last Christmas and I thought perhaps I at least owed you a proper goodbye. So, I hope things work out for you Sora. Have a good life. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Years."

He was floored, and his fists clenched in his pockets started shaking. His blue eyes were bright with tears, but he refused to cry in front of his mother. As she was turning to go back outside he lashed out, "That's it?"

She paused with a black-gloved hand on the door. Kisho remained still. He knew his son deserved to speak his piece, and it was about time his wife was forced to listen.

"After years of no contact, at all, you come walking in here, knowing that you'll be dead this time next year, and that's _all_ you have to say to me?"

Red hair peeking from under the God-awful hat, she whirled around. "Well what the hell would you _have_ me say Sora?"

"How about you're sorry? For hating me, for ignoring me for so many years just because I'm gay?"

She tilted her head. "I never hated you Sora. I loved you. You're my son…but…I would rather remember the son I had."

Sora almost felt his heart rip from his chest with sorrow; and a lump formed in his throat as he stared at her in disbelief.

They were still staring when Riku came into the kitchen, wondering where his boyfriend had gone off to. "Oh, hi Kisho."

He turned and noticed Sora's mother. The woman who had caused his lover so many years of regret and sadness. She stared at Riku like he was something her servant's wiped off her shoes. But it had nothing to do with wealth. She blamed him for making her son gay, and despite her advanced years she still played cat games like a high school drama queen. Well, Riku could play too.

He smiled his coyest smile and just as she opened her mouth he started speaking. "How have you been sir," he asked politely to Kisho, completely ignoring _her_ presence.

Kisho, also unafraid of his wife, smiled and reached into his coat pocket. "Pretty good Riku, pretty good. I brought you guys this gift, and I was just hoping to come back later for a sample of your famous turkey."

He accepted the gift, wrapped in white paper with a blue bow. "Anytime Kisho."

Sora watched the scene with a small degree of nervousness. He knew Riku could hold his own, better than most, but he didn't want a dispute. The brunette snuck a sidelong glance at his mother. And what better way to avoid dispute than getting rid of the instigator?

"Mom, I think maybe you should go."

His mother looked at him in surprise. It was clear that she came expecting Sora to repent for his life. "Very well," she said gruffly.

As she adjusted her hat she said, "We could have had a relationship you know."

Sora made sure to leave the fury out of his voice as he said, "I wasn't the one who severed the relationship we _did_ have mom."

She scoffed. "Is that the last thing you want to say to your mother?"

Riku looked puzzled, but wisely chose to ask later. He never liked to stop Sora when he got a courageous momentum.

In fact, his boyfriend put his hands on his hips and said thoughtfully, "No mother, you're right. What I would _like_ to say is that I always loved you, even after you cut me out of your life. And I'm sorry that things have to end in such an abrupt and negative way, but you chose to end it."

He licked his lips, and he had something on the edge of his tongue. He looked at his dad for permission. Loving old man, he grinned and nodded so his wife couldn't see.

"One more thing mother," he said decisively.

The bitter old woman, who chose to love her son only under her terms, blinked and jutted her chin in acknowledgement.

Sora marched over to Riku, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him passionately. He heard the exclamation of disgust and drew their bodies close together. He felt Riku smile in pride against his mouth.

Not exactly a character in favor of stereotypes, Sora never was very flamboyant. But as he broke away from his lover he put one hand on his hip and said with a classroom-perfect gay lisp: "I'm here, I'm queer, get used to it!"

Infuriated, his mother swung open the door and slammed it shut behind her, leaving her husband in the kitchen with their son.

He looked down at his boy with pride, and not a little regret. "I'm sorry that she feels that way son. And I'm sorry I let her keep me away from you all these years."

The brunette smiled and again hugged his dad. "You always visited dad. I knew you cared. Besides, you can't help who you fall in love with." He frowned when he realized how her impending death must be affecting him. "Will you be okay?"

Kisho chucked Sora under the chin. "Sure. I'm planning on moving closer to you boys after it happens. Until then I'll be there to take care of her whenever I can."

They all smiled, and Riku took Sora's hand. "Are you sure you don't want to stay and eat?"

"Nah, we've got to get to that Christmas party. But like I said, save me a plate Riku! I've got to get some decent food in me," he chuckled, rubbing his absent stomach. "After all, I gotta stick around long enough to see you two give me some grandkids!"

"Gra—what?"

Kisho laughed and headed out the door. "Merry Christmas boys, I'll be back at about nine, so don't eat it all!"

Sora smiled, still holding his lover's hand.

"Sorry, did he say something about _grandchildren_?"

The younger man kissed Riku's cheek. "Relax big guy, no one's rushing you. Come on, we've got a Christmas party to get back to." He turned around and dragged Riku to the living room, where their friends and family were laughing at Axel's attempts to kiss everyone in the room with a sprig of mistletoe in his hand.

(Asterisk)

Later that night, two lovers had their arms wrapped around each other in the warm comfort of their bed, the festive red and green comforter enveloping their nude bodies. The air was potent with the smells of leftover Christmas Eve dinner, cinnamon, and lovemaking. The bedroom had gold colored walls with soft yellow bulbs, lending a glow to Sora's sweating skin. He was stroking Riku's back, his legs still wrapped around pale hips as his back pressed into the sheets. He was a little out of breath as he pushed aside silver hair and kissed his lover's cheek. While he was giving gentle nips to Riku's ears, his blue eyes happened to glance out the window. Large flakes of snow got caught in the yard light as they fell.

The light flurry outside had created large piles of snow, and it was still falling. So it seemed that they were getting the ever coveted white Christmas. He smiled, swept up by the joy of the moment. "Merry Christmas Riku."

Riku flicked his hair aside and leaned back far enough that he could look down at the brunette. He smirked. "Merry Christmas Sora." He allowed his lower weight to slump against Sora and ran his fingers through cinnamon-tinted hair. "So are we just going to ignore that elephant clouding your mind, or do you plan to discuss it?"

The younger man frowned up at him. "Couldn't you have just left a lovely moment alone?"

He tilted his head. "Sora," he said in a warning voice.

Retaliating, Sora slapped his arm. "Well what about you? You can't tell me that hearing about that bastard killing himself doesn't get to you!"

He grabbed Sora's wrist before the next blow landed. "And you can't say your mom's cancer isn't upsetting you. Sora, we _need_ to talk about this!"

A grunt was released from fresh-kissed lips. "Yes, it upsets me, okay? I never see the woman and when she finally comes back into my life it's only to say that when she dies she'll be picturing a straight little boy, not a fully-grown gay man." There was a small choke to his voice and there was a brighter shine to his eyes than usual. A small fist came up under closed lips.

Riku recognized that face. Sora didn't want to cry, but he was about to. Without hesitation, he brought his arms back around his lover and gently cradled his head against his shoulder. Emitting a small yelp, Sora put his hands on Riku's back and wept quietly against a bare shoulder. The only sounds were light sobbing, and the clock ticking in the opposite corner of the room. He would occasionally catch whispers of "How could she," and, "I can't believe this," but he just soothed them away by stroking Sora's back and hair. Sora dealt with grief well, as long as he had an outlet for all his emotions. Riku never minded being the source of that outlet. Though he knew there must have been more, the tears were quick to pass, and Sora was then rubbing a thumb on his cheek. "Well, I guess things don't always turn out the way you hope."

Riku nodded in agreement. "Sometimes they don't," Sora's face fell. Riku had to remind himself that his "brutally honest" approach didn't always mesh with his lover's optimism. "But that's why you have someone like me," he said quickly, and silenced his boyfriend with a swift kiss. "And I won't leave again."

The brunette smiled in thanks, and lightly punched the pale chest above him. "Speaking of you…," he said slowly. He had to introduce the topic carefully, or Riku would shut down completely. Before he had just brought up the mugger's suicide as a deflection from his own problems, but Sora knew his lover well enough to tell when something bothered him. "You have been rather subdued since I told you about the mugger. Penny for your thoughts."

Riku smirked wryly and leaned down to kiss at Sora's ear. "They aren't worth it." At first Sora thought he was ignoring the question, but very slowly his silver-haired lover slumped his upper half down with a sigh. "I don't know Sora. I feel…cheated. I wanted to get revenge against that son of a bitch, or at least see him punished. Instead I'm stuck here feeling sorry for the bastard. And after all the hell he put us through!"

He didn't have to say it twice. Sora's dreams about the incident stopped almost immediately after Riku came home from the hospital. But there were still some nights even now when Sora would wake up and find his aqua-eyed lover staring out the window, awakened from nightmares about guns and hospitals.

"Well…you may not have the revenge you wanted, but at least you know that he was punished. I can't imagine a life without loved ones…all alone," he trailed off, and spat an inner curse as he realized that he was also feeling sorry for the dirt-bag. He looked up at Riku and saw the same confusion reflected back at him. No matter what he had done to them, at least Riku and Sora had a home, and each other. This pathetic creature had literally nothing to lose. "So what does all this mean?"

His boyfriend groaned and rolled back to his side of the bed. "I guess…it's just our closure," he tried.

He turned his head to watch silver eyelashes flutter. "Closure?"

Riku turned onto his side to face Sora and smiled ruefully, quickly adopting his improvised thought. "Yeah, closure. Even though they weren't the endings we wanted, they're still finished business. Your mom may not have accepted you, but she'll no longer be a part of your life that you have to dwell on. And me, well, I'll admit I wanted to administer my own justice, but that mugger _was_ punished for what he did to us, and probably a million other things that he did to other people."

The younger man nodded, and turned on his side as well. They weren't the most pleasant facts, but facts they were, none the less.

"And since we're going to identify his body, and go to your mother's funeral, maybe all this is just somebody's way of saying that this is the ending of one chapter in our lives. It's time to start a new one."

The brunette thought it over, and started to agree. They were very lucky. They were a young, happy, healthy couple, and they had many friends. So with all that they had, it would be okay to start looking into the future. Maybe they could get married, add on to their house, and even have kids. The possibilities were limitless! As long as they continued the paths they were on, without dwelling on the past.

He smiled at Riku and pushed his back onto the bed, his hand lightly brushing over the bullet scar. That scar would never go away, but in time the bad memories that came with it would. He lightly kissed the scar, something he hadn't done before, and smirked up at his boyfriend mischievously. "Alright then; Happy New Year Riku."

Riku smiled back as Sora continued lazily kissing around his scar, almost kissing away the nightmares of the last six months. "Happy New Year Sora."

FIN

Kisho – Knows his own.

Shima – Island dweller.

Kameko – Child of the tortoise.

**A ****part**** of this story was inspired by something that happened to my brother. He isn't gay, but he was in a severe car accident five years ago, and before they could life-flight him the doctors said we should say goodbye just in case. It was scary to see him with blood on his face and breathing by a machine, so I tried to capture that emotion here. I'm very proud of this story, and I wanted to make sure it was posted before the end of the year, so I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading, hope you had a nice holiday! And you know what else is nice? Reviews! Plus I'm debating on a little prequel action, so tell me what you think! In detail! :D**


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